1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to baking accessories and, more particularly, to a baking dish for cooking, serving and storing food.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Silicone is a good choice for bakeware because of its high heat-resistance properties. Another advantage is that it has good release properties, which means that it requires no greasing and cleanup, either by hand or in the dishwasher, is very easy. Others have embraced silicone in bakeware and have for the most part emulated the shape of traditional metal bakeware in the silicone molds. This bakeware cooks as well as traditional bakeware, but there are several drawbacks:
The cost is higher;
The pans are flexible so it helps to have a stiff metal sheet underneath to help slide it into the oven;
The cooking times can be a little longer;
There is still a difficulty in removing the food from the forms other than the muffins (which can be pushed out individually).
The most popular all-silicone baking form, and one that is predominantly used in commercial baking and in the restaurant industry, is the muffin mold.
Silicone bakeware has been on the market for several years but has not been widely successful for home use. However, additional features would have to be added to the bakeware forms to overcome the public""s skepticism of cooking in plastic.
The release properties and the ability to be molded into virtually limitless shapes are important consideration. Another objective is to see if the silicone baking apparatus could replace all of the traditional bakeware forms on the market as well as overcome some of the problems inherent in baking in general. Several products attempt to overcome problems in baking.
A silicone baking sheet is very useful for baking cookies, breads or pastries. It has to be used on top of a regular cookie sheet, or on some other flat sheet. When cooking is completed, the silicone baking sheet can simply be lifted off to shake the contents off the sheet.
A traditional springform pan with a glass bottom has just a metal sheet on the bottom. These types of pans are used for cakes that cannot be popped or lifted out of a mold. As a result of releasing the spring, the sides can be lifted away after baking, leaving a straight walled cake sitting on a tray. The tray can be easily moved around or set on a serving platter. This design overcomes the problems of a tricky release from a mold and even allows for cakes with straight walls (no draft). The springform pan is most often used for cheesecakes. However, with the springform pan the metal and spring parts are difficult to clean. The advantage of having a glass bottom is that it will not scratch when you cut it, and the glass is very easy to clean.
The advantage of a loose-bottom pan is that the cake can be pushed up from the bottom, rather than being pried out. This type of pan is not likely to be non-stick coated because of the edge on a flat disk. Because of this, this pan must be greased before use.
A ceramic baker is formed of glazed ceramic. The material absorbs, transfers and retains heat well. Because of its glazing, it is easy to clean and is non-stick (it needs little or no grease).
The ceramic baker is microwave-, oven- and dishwasher-safe. It will not discolor or become scratched from knives or metal utensils. The disadvantage of this baker is that it is heavy, that there are risks of damage during shipment and ceramic incurs a larger import duty rate.
In order to overcome the disadvantages inherent in known baking dishes, a baking dish in accordance with the present convention comprises a generally shallow platter made of a material suitable to withstand a baking environment and having a baking surface defining a supporting plane on which a baked product can be made. A substantially upright continuous wall is provided in the form of a ring generally conforming to the shape of the baking surface and having height dimensions when supported on said baking surface relative to said supporting plane defining a generally cylindrical space for receiving and containing a food product to be baked. Said platter and wall have substantially conforming peripheries. First attaching means is provided on said platter and second attaching means is provided on said ring for removably attaching said ring to said platter for providing a generally sealed connection at the mating surfaces of said platter and wall. A cover is provided having a substantially upright continuous wall conforming to said periphery of said baking surface and is closed at one end and open at the other end in planes normal to said upright wall of said cover. Said cover is provided with second attaching means for removably attaching said cover to said plate. In this manner, said ring can be initially attached to said plate for baking a food product and subsequently said ring can be replaced by said cover to store the baked product within a substantially sealed enclosure.